The triple parentheses are used by neo-nazis to indicate likely Jewish names or organisations and is used as an anti-semitic slur. It would be a good idea to avoid giving the impression that you share their sympathies.
Exactly Pete. It an honest world English would be punished for lying.
A brave journalist would say, “Since you lied about the Hole and about Tax hikes why would anyone believe a word you said Mr PM?”
Yep the news was not leaked. The media had a really good guess or maybe the news came to them in a dream. Nothing to see here. Ministers who are the biggest gossips in the country did not tell anyone else. Move on nothing to see.
Exactly. Since that scandal erupted, I have noticed a caginess from all the main political suspects. Six weeks out from an election and you can’t tell me the ministers involved managed to resist the temptation to gossip outside of the inner circle. Of course they did.
The anonymous caller to Newsroom was apparently a man and according to an article I read online this morning (can’t remember where it was) he was “well informed”.
Has anyone had the call traced? It might lead to nowhere but you would think someone would have tried.
NZ First is further left than Labour? I find that dubious. TOP also isn’t neoliberal, in my view.
Political parties are complex, so it is difficult to place them at some point on such a chart. Perhaps it would make more sense to draw a region where the policies more or less fit — some parties are focused, while others have divergent ideas.
But when you look at policies like what NZ1 even did with National from 1996, and compare it with Clark’s Labour, it’s definitely an arguable position. Things like free GP visits for <4 year olds and the super goldcard.
Especially when things like kiwirail and kiwibank were Alliance policies.
On the flipside, NZ1 has strong social conservatism themes and tolerated Prosser's statements (well, until he started talking tactics and renationalisation, lol).
And the blackmailers are out in force, from checkbooks being put away to concerns about the effect on the economy – the news are drumming up the beat in big letters everywhere. Just so that we all have a moment of angst so that we duly say hurray when National is selected to govern.
The longer these negotiations go the more pity I have for the party being the final winner(s). Why? Because in a few weeks time those hysterical soothsayers will have talked NZ economy into a severe downturn. Let Mr English get this round because with his friends fanning the fire it will be his last hurray and Mrs Ardern has time to really get her ducks into a row. Mr Peters by association will be gone too (I am 100% sure he will go with Nat) and Bob is your Uncle.
‘Winston Peters could be out for revenge against National over their attempts to take him down during the campaign.
A New Zealand First source has told Newshub Peters is particularly resentful towards Steven Joyce, whom he personally detests.
The Newshub tip-off
The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
It was an anonymous phone call, from a blocked number, from a man who knew lots of details.
It could have been a public servant.
But investigations by the Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services, which manages staff in the Beehive, have all failed to find the leaker.
That leaves a senior crew as suspects – two ministers, Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett, as well as the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff Wayne Eagleson.’
‘Video footage has emerged of Winston Peters making a scathing attack on Bill English and a number of other MPs – saying they have created an unstable government that has exacerbated poverty.’
‘The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
It was an anonymous phone call, from a blocked number, from a man who knew lots of details.
It could have been a public servant.
But investigations by the Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services, which manages staff in the Beehive, have all failed to find the leaker.
That leaves a senior crew as suspects – two ministers, Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett, as well as the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff Wayne Eagleson.
‘The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
Utter bullshit and fake news, there was no co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters. going on, the whole thing appeared out of nowhere.
Fuck the media, they’re a fucking joke, they have no credibility.
‘New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has lashed out at a media report tonight alleging he was out for “utu” against the National Party.
The report on Newshub said National launched a “four-pronged attack” on Peters – and now the kingmaker was out for revenge.
Newshub political editor Patrick Gower claimed his source was a New Zealand First party insider.
However, Peters hit back quickly, saying “whatever Patrick Gower and the Newshub producers are on, they should get off it”.
“Their TV news broadcasts the last two nights have been fiction, and grossly misleading. I will not be explaining what parts are fictional. Some of it is barefaced lies.
“This news broadcaster is claiming sources that don’t exist. It’s the very worst form of journalism,” he said.
“Newshub political editor Patrick Gower claimed his source was a New Zealand First party insider”.
I will no doubt be considered as being excessively cynical but I have always thought that the leak was from the ultimate “New Zealand First insider”.
I think it came from Winston himself. Probably one of his acolytes as his own voice is far too whisky hardened and recognisable to dare make the call himself.
I suspect he thought it would get him some welcome publicity when he was being ignored by all the reporters.
He would stand out in contrast to Turei as someone who had immediately repaid the money and could make a plausible case that it was an accident.
I notice he still won’t release the original application he put in though. Now if that ever genuinely leaked it might be explosive.
Fuck the media, they’re a fucking joke, they have no credibility.
They certainly did a very poor job of exposing National’s lies during the election campaign. However, the liars have even less credibility than the people who failed to expose their lies, so, on the whole, I’d take journos’ word for it over National’s.
BM’s right hand makes “scissors”, his left chooses “paper”. Next up, right plays “rock”, BM’s left tries “scissors”. In a final effort BM’s left hand goes first, plumps for “paper”, only to be met by the right hand’s elegant “scissor”!!; is it any wonder BM’s a bit jaded about the left???
That would be good to see but I think we’ll need a seismic shift in the whole political system before we can hope for an independent media. Or at least some form of transparency so they can be seen for what they are, mostly fanboys and girls for neoliberalism and underminers of democracy.
I pine though for a NZ media and commentariat free from Hosking, Williams, Garner, Richardson, Gower, Young, Trevett, Armstrong, Watkins, HDP, Hooten, Boag, …… The roll of dishonour is long and undistinguished.
Would you regard it as acceptable if a right-wing Government should be allowed to shut down news sites like this one? I certainly hope not.
I suppose you would only silence people you don’t like.
Nationalising the airwaves and restoring the commons, taking them back from corporations.
Setting them up for grassroots local organisations.
Thereby organising a democratic media, not one run for big business interests.
Am sick of the gossipy news, we can find that in the womans day, facebook, entertainment websites or whatever, I just want decent credible journalism, that is investigated rather than perpetuated gossip all over the telly, in the printed media and on their websites, click bait gossip central. Opinions on politics from sports presenters, sick of that shite.
And the real kicker is, as soon as we have some decent investigated journalism, it’s slammed. Like JC going off air etc.
I am grateful for my weekly dose of international media scruitney, via The Listening Post.
Here we are post-election getting our attention and energy taken up by another round of bullshit. (have to say Clifton’s joining the dots is useful though). Maybe it’s just me feeling overloaded with things to push back against and still the left is just not that willing to work together (although parts of it do obviously).
I’m in the middle of writing a Guest Post about the Green Party and all the BS that blows around. I hope you will like it enough to post it here when it is finished 😉
Tell me BM, in the 9 years National have been in government what have they done to cultivate the relationships that MMP demands?
If they come up short in the next few weeks they’ll have only themselves to blame.
Why would the Greens or any other party for that matter sign up to the same fate that has befallen ACT and the Māori Party?
The word has become a rhetorical weapon, but it properly names the reigning ideology of our era – one that venerates the logic of the market and strips away the things that make us human.
By Stephen Metcalf
So? That has nothing to do with what Carolyn posted, or what Jane Clifton tweeted. I see no reason to disbelieve her and the fact that there are a bunch of National voters who want their conscience’s salved over the environment, or who just can’t stand Peters doesn’t change that.
Basically all you are doing is saying you want National to have as much power as possible. No shit. Just be honest about it.
BM, Maybe that large chunk of national voters should have voted for the Greens if they really care about the environment. Rather than wanting the Greens with national because all they really care about is national holding power.
Yes National’s policies over the past 9 years have really prioritised the environment. Our waterways are pristine, we are reducing the cow herd to tackle climate change, we are spending much more on DOC to protect our wilderness areas…..
there’s a large chunk of National voters who’d prefer the Greens to Peters if that option was on the table.
I’d say a pretty small minority of Nats – based on Polling over recent years
In 2014 for instance National voters preferred the Conservatives as Coalition Partners (54% Reid Research 47% DigiPoll) followed by NZF (36% RR 38% DP) with the Greens way back
Doubt things have changed much
More to the point an overwhelming majority of Green voters prefer a Labour Coalition partner
I was going to post something last night after I heard Bolger on Checkpoint have a sly little dig that the Greens should consider going with National because there is no left or right when it came to the environment and advising JC to “watch that space”.
I thought maybe he was just being mischievous but then I noted all the other places this suggestion had popped up over recent days. I wondered if the whole thing was deliberate and being managed.
In many cases I thought the people suggesting it being a real option should have known better, particularly when any such coalition would need to ratified by 75% of Green Party members. So I thought they were either ill-informed, mischievous or worse.
Its “utu” time according to Mr Paddy Gower……….Mike, all over in a minute, Hosking declares NZ First holding country to ransom…………… the media are in a spin.
Oh for the sounds of silence after the ensuing media death rattle.
Hi weka – what do you mean when you say Gower is manipulating NZ politics “now”. Surely the elections been had and voters no longer have any influence. Surely Gower can only ever influence voters, rather than politicians? Is Peters’ decision likely to be guided by Gower’s effusions?
Robert, I suspect Mr Gower is pushing the line “you heard it here first” and that he is “privy” to “inside” information from “powerful” informants who call up on “blocked” phone numbers “telling all”.
The media in this country are being exposed for the poor little sycophants they are. Sadly a fair number of a certain 46% buy into it.
I guess, Kat, but I don’t see how anything Gower says will influence the formation of the new Government. He can cant all he wishes but Winston will make his own call.
He wants to up his ratings though and he may have some delusional fog similar to Hosking that what he says certain politicians may actually listen too. Since Key left there is an apparent vacuum between the media and politicians generally.
Although having said that Jacinda seems to have the measure of all of them, which is fascinating to observe.
Joke’s on him when you consider that Russell Norman went on to head Greenpeace and Kevin Hague heads Forest and Bird, two of the most effective progressive lobbying/activist groups we have in NZ now. I’m betting the Greens shedding some MPs just seeded some more great activism.
Absolutely weka. Kevin Hague is dong a sensational job at F & B, not least because it has stepped up to do some of the work that DoC has long since given up on.
I had a great admiration for Kevin Hague. He stood for what I thought a Green Party should be. When he didn’t win the leadership position I was greatly surprised, and disappointed.
He had also done something before he entered Parliament. He wasn’t just one of the career Pol Sci idiots who haven’t actually done anything in the real world. I’ll admit they are mostly in the Labour Party, rather than the Greens of course.
Russel Norman? Forget it. He hasn’t changed since he left Parliament. Look at the story this Blog covered where he tried to smear the Government just before Election Day. https://thestandard.org.nz/the-missing-story-on-collins-and-the-fuel-pipe-fiasco/#comment-1389665
How is his Court case going by the way? I wonder if Greenpeace will pay the fine?
I realise that Gareth Hughes is still in Parliament. However were he not, and it was quite close to happening, what would he do to support his family?
Go on a benefit?
The only thing I have seen him do, apart from being a joke as an MP was to dress up in a Star Trek uniform and pretend he was fighting the Klingons, or to have somewhat earlier been a stand-in in for Ronald McDonald. Has he done anything that has been useful to the world?
“I have heard myself called a pessimist, and perhaps I have written some words of ill omen in my books … and perhaps I have spoken tonight some words of ill omen – but they are not words of despair. If we conjecture the decline and fall of this civilisation, it is because we hope for a better one. We are a tough race, we human beings; we have lived through an ice age and many ages of barbarism; we can live through this age of civilisation; and when at length it wears out and crumbles under us, we can “plot our agony of resurrection” and make a new age. Our business is to live. To live through… anything. And to keep alive, through everything, our ideal values, of freedom and courage, and mercy and tolerance.”
apparently more voted for National as they are perceived as superior managers of the economy…..perception is not reality.
“To sum up, New Zealand has lagged a bit behind the median advanced country since 2007/08, and has had no productivity growth at all for the last five years. We continue to drift further behind our closest neighbour, Australia, and now face the likelihood that before too long we’ll be overtaken by countries that, throughout modern history, were never previously as productive as New Zealand was, and which 30 years ago we’d have looked on as pretty hopeless cases.”
Even the Aussies can see it…..God alone knows why 46% of NZ voters cant
“With at least 15,000 new homes needing to be built (not consented) in the city each year – more than double the current build rate – it is obvious that the housing situation in Auckland will continue to worsen as dwelling supply falls well short of rapid immigration-fueled population growth.
New Zealand needs genuine action on both the demand and supply-sides. And only Labour seems to have comprehensive policies (see here and here)”
Some are fools who believe the spin.
Some are cowards who believe the lies and scare stories.
Some are too lazy to research the issues.
And some pretend they care about child poverty, but their greed and selfishness trumps that when push comes to shove.
And finally there are the sociopaths.
The researchers at New York University named Eminen’s Lose Yourself and Backstreet’s No Diggity as two favourites amongst those with the highest psychopath scores, The Guardian reports…
…“You don’t want to have these people in positions where they can cause a lot of harm,” he added. “We need a tool to identify them without their cooperation or consent.”
(Been AFK from a couple of days before election, and trying to catch up)
I’ve been looking closely at the astounding destruction. What stuns me is how anyone survived at all. And pictures of yachts in known hurricane holes that are usually safe, just piled up over each other in tangled wrecks.
Cat 5’s used to be a once in a generation event; now we get several every year. Irma sustained winds over 270 km/hr for more than 24 hrs … that’s a grim statistic which bodes very ill for any nation within striking reach of these monsters.
An unusual convergence for the weather this time which hopefully won’t get repeated for at least 5 years.
But it will repeat. In the hurricane and typhoon areas it has been obvious for decades that with more energy, higher heat differentials, and above all else the ability to hoist more water into the atmosphere from climate change that there would be more intense storms rather than just more storms in those latitudes. Just as in our latitudes we’re going to get weather patterns lasting long and going further north from the pole and south from the sub-tropics.
Had to knock TeWhareWhero off the rss feed for badly formed feed for the second time in as many months. It was breaking the display off all the other sources in their latest post “The Neo-Libs’ Charter”
It can stay off now unless it gets fixed and I can be assured I don’t have to fix it another time.
What an amazing election we had on the weekend! Can’t wait for the special votes to come in and be confirmed on the 7th October (Am I correct with that date). I have enjoyed reading some the threads and once I pull my out my digit out my ass I’ll comment on a few things like the Nelson electorate which in my view Labour can win. It good to see Chris Carter pop in for his take of the Auckland seats and how to fix the problem there in regards to the various ethnic groups in NZ.
Anyway I thought I’ll post this from the ABC about our record breaking temperatures over here in Oz ATM. In the southern states it’s dryer than a pub with no beer and up here in the top end a very early build up which is slowly driving everyone bat shit crazy ATM with a lot of fires in between a lot of drinking with all bugger all else getting done because it too bloody hot to do anything else.
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The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
“We urge the Health Select Committee to extend the date for submissions,” concluded Rev Bush. “There is too much at stake to leave the outcome of this review only in the hands of politicians or those with vested interests.” ...
A separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent nations, Winston Peters' office says. ...
By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua Māori Journalism Intern at RNZ News The New Zealand fuel company Z Energy is swapping out street names for “correct” kupu on service stops around the country, with the help of local hapū. When Z took over 226 fuel sites from Shell in 2010, ...
Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wesche’s final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Dmitry Chulov, Shutterstock At this time of year, images of reindeer are everywhere. I’ve had a soft spot for reindeer ever since I was a little girl. Doesn’t everyone? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grozdana Manalo, Career Services Manager (Education), University of Sydney hedgehog94/Shutterstock Getting casual work over summer, or a part-time job that you might continue once your tertiary course starts, can be a great way to get workplace experience and earn some extra ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ty Ferguson, Research associate in exercise, nutrition and activity, University of South Australia Peera_Stockfoto/Shutterstock It’s never been easier to stay connected to work. Even when we’re on leave, our phones and laptops keep us tethered. Many of us promise ourselves we ...
The NZ Media Council upheld the complaint under principle four: comment and fact On 5 September 2024, The Spinoff published a brief article titled Made in Palestine, found in 1970s Hastings, which highlighted an upcoming art exhibition featuring photographs of vintage cosmetic products labelled “Made in Palestine.” The piece, described ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University We are well and truly in cricket season. The Australian men’s cricket team is taking centre stage against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series while the Big Bash League is underway, as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Woods, Lecturer, Nursing, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University FTiare/Shutterstock Summer is here and for many that means going to the beach. You grab your swimmers, beach towel and sunscreen then maybe check the weather forecast. Did you think to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity Australia Dean Clarke/Shutterstock The holiday season can be a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence in delicious foods and meals. However, for many, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Late Night With The Devil. Maslow Entertainment Marketing is critical to the success of commercial films, and companies will often spend half as much again on top of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Jose Testa, Lecturer in Earth Sciences (Mineralogy, Petrology & Geochemistry), University of Tasmania The Conversation As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
An unrelenting faith in “swift transition” has driven Tauranga Whai to their first Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa championship. At a boisterous Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, the visiting Tokomanawa Queens were blown away 90-71 in the final.Whai led by 20 points at halftime as their urgent movement and unflinching faith in three-point shooting from anywhere ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
Marcon is a anti worker scum bag. Only up side is he is showing us all that socialism is the only real alternative to this beige revolution.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/macron-labour-laws-reforms-new-france-union-protests-a7962141.html
The anti-(((globalist))) movement is global, apparently.
/
The triple parentheses are used by neo-nazis to indicate likely Jewish names or organisations and is used as an anti-semitic slur. It would be a good idea to avoid giving the impression that you share their sympathies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_parentheses
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2016/jun/12/echoes-beating-the-far-right-two-triple-brackets-at-a-time
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/triple-parentheses-echo
Thought the / would do the trick, but yeah.
That’s tricky. People have been using double and triple parentheses for a lot longer than that to signify hugging someone online.
Another one of their appropriations, like Pepe.
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ywwxj7/pepe-the-frogs-creator-gets-alt-right-childrens-book-pulled-vows-to-aggressively-enforce-his-intellectual-property
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/8x8gaa/pepe-the-frogs-creator-lawsuits-dmca-matt-furie-alt-right
HugsHugsHugs(((Palestine)))HugsHugsHugs
Just saw bill English on the news after hearing him earlier on the radio.
He was give us a categorical assurance the Winston Peters’ leak didn’t come from his lot.
Yes Bill, we hear you, and we all know how honest you are.
Exactly Pete. It an honest world English would be punished for lying.
A brave journalist would say, “Since you lied about the Hole and about Tax hikes why would anyone believe a word you said Mr PM?”
Well I can just see Hosking doing that……
And the media go on about the Nat’s ‘moral authority’ without a trace of irony.
But, but .. I take people at their word, no one ever lies to me, I’m a very important caretaker – sarc as
Yep the news was not leaked. The media had a really good guess or maybe the news came to them in a dream. Nothing to see here. Ministers who are the biggest gossips in the country did not tell anyone else. Move on nothing to see.
Great guessing skills too what with the $18,000 punt.
Exactly. Since that scandal erupted, I have noticed a caginess from all the main political suspects. Six weeks out from an election and you can’t tell me the ministers involved managed to resist the temptation to gossip outside of the inner circle. Of course they did.
The anonymous caller to Newsroom was apparently a man and according to an article I read online this morning (can’t remember where it was) he was “well informed”.
Has anyone had the call traced? It might lead to nowhere but you would think someone would have tried.
Btw, where’s Jason Ede?
With all the Nats & Greens getting together conjecture and folks saying how they can do it in Germany, it’s interesting to see where our respective Green Parties sit in on the political compass…
In NZ…
https://www.politicalcompass.org/nz2017
and in Germany..
https://www.politicalcompass.org/germany2017
A different shade of green maybe?
NZ First is further left than Labour? I find that dubious. TOP also isn’t neoliberal, in my view.
Political parties are complex, so it is difficult to place them at some point on such a chart. Perhaps it would make more sense to draw a region where the policies more or less fit — some parties are focused, while others have divergent ideas.
Economically further left
Because they oppose TPPA?
I think people are confusing Muldoon style protectionism with economics more typical of the left. The clue is in the party name, really.
Norman Kirk-style, as well.
But when you look at policies like what NZ1 even did with National from 1996, and compare it with Clark’s Labour, it’s definitely an arguable position. Things like free GP visits for <4 year olds and the super goldcard.
Especially when things like kiwirail and kiwibank were Alliance policies.
On the flipside, NZ1 has strong social conservatism themes and tolerated Prosser's statements (well, until he started talking tactics and renationalisation, lol).
And the blackmailers are out in force, from checkbooks being put away to concerns about the effect on the economy – the news are drumming up the beat in big letters everywhere. Just so that we all have a moment of angst so that we duly say hurray when National is selected to govern.
The longer these negotiations go the more pity I have for the party being the final winner(s). Why? Because in a few weeks time those hysterical soothsayers will have talked NZ economy into a severe downturn. Let Mr English get this round because with his friends fanning the fire it will be his last hurray and Mrs Ardern has time to really get her ducks into a row. Mr Peters by association will be gone too (I am 100% sure he will go with Nat) and Bob is your Uncle.
Last time Winston Peters held the balance of power and kept everyone waiting, business ticked along without a bat of an eyelid.
The more politicians can stay out of business (even if it’s just being caught up in their own affairs), the more businesses like it.
Utu.
Best served cold.
‘Winston Peters could be out for revenge against National over their attempts to take him down during the campaign.
A New Zealand First source has told Newshub Peters is particularly resentful towards Steven Joyce, whom he personally detests.
The Newshub tip-off
The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
It was an anonymous phone call, from a blocked number, from a man who knew lots of details.
It could have been a public servant.
But investigations by the Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services, which manages staff in the Beehive, have all failed to find the leaker.
That leaves a senior crew as suspects – two ministers, Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett, as well as the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff Wayne Eagleson.’
Lots more here……
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/patrick-gower-winston-peters-wants-utu-from-steven-joyce.html
More here…
‘Video footage has emerged of Winston Peters making a scathing attack on Bill English and a number of other MPs – saying they have created an unstable government that has exacerbated poverty.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11926450
The media seems intent on trying to sink any chance of a Lab/Green/NZ First coalition.
The Nats tried and failed to take out New Zealand First.
Joyce is a piece of work.
The media are simply reporting facts.
Got a problem with that?
Peters hates the media, they’re trying to manipulate him into going with Labour and the Greens.
So the dirty politics reported is a fiction?
Probably, media just make up shit they have no credibility.
So this is a lie?
‘The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
It was an anonymous phone call, from a blocked number, from a man who knew lots of details.
It could have been a public servant.
But investigations by the Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services, which manages staff in the Beehive, have all failed to find the leaker.
That leaves a senior crew as suspects – two ministers, Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett, as well as the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff Wayne Eagleson.
‘The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
Utter bullshit and fake news, there was no co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters. going on, the whole thing appeared out of nowhere.
Fuck the media, they’re a fucking joke, they have no credibility.
Sounds like you may be correct.
‘New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has lashed out at a media report tonight alleging he was out for “utu” against the National Party.
The report on Newshub said National launched a “four-pronged attack” on Peters – and now the kingmaker was out for revenge.
Newshub political editor Patrick Gower claimed his source was a New Zealand First party insider.
However, Peters hit back quickly, saying “whatever Patrick Gower and the Newshub producers are on, they should get off it”.
“Their TV news broadcasts the last two nights have been fiction, and grossly misleading. I will not be explaining what parts are fictional. Some of it is barefaced lies.
“This news broadcaster is claiming sources that don’t exist. It’s the very worst form of journalism,” he said.
“Newshub political editor Patrick Gower claimed his source was a New Zealand First party insider”.
I will no doubt be considered as being excessively cynical but I have always thought that the leak was from the ultimate “New Zealand First insider”.
I think it came from Winston himself. Probably one of his acolytes as his own voice is far too whisky hardened and recognisable to dare make the call himself.
I suspect he thought it would get him some welcome publicity when he was being ignored by all the reporters.
He would stand out in contrast to Turei as someone who had immediately repaid the money and could make a plausible case that it was an accident.
I notice he still won’t release the original application he put in though. Now if that ever genuinely leaked it might be explosive.
I really doubt that.
Fuck the media, they’re a fucking joke, they have no credibility.
They certainly did a very poor job of exposing National’s lies during the election campaign. However, the liars have even less credibility than the people who failed to expose their lies, so, on the whole, I’d take journos’ word for it over National’s.
That’s a pretty sad indictment of the state of the nation. True though.
BM
” just make up shit they have no credibility.” This is surely an accurate description of your beloved Party
They’re not trying to manipulate him. They have no hope of doing that.
So they’re trolling him then? again bad for the left.
The sun comes up in the morning.
BM: “That’s bad for the Left.”
yep – oh dear rain – bad for the left that one says BM sagely
BM’s right hand makes “scissors”, his left chooses “paper”. Next up, right plays “rock”, BM’s left tries “scissors”. In a final effort BM’s left hand goes first, plumps for “paper”, only to be met by the right hand’s elegant “scissor”!!; is it any wonder BM’s a bit jaded about the left???
Maybe Paddy should have added that Winston detests the media the most, especially when they spin shite.
I hope that he reforms the media when in power.
+ infinity and beyond
That would be good to see but I think we’ll need a seismic shift in the whole political system before we can hope for an independent media. Or at least some form of transparency so they can be seen for what they are, mostly fanboys and girls for neoliberalism and underminers of democracy.
I pine though for a NZ media and commentariat free from Hosking, Williams, Garner, Richardson, Gower, Young, Trevett, Armstrong, Watkins, HDP, Hooten, Boag, …… The roll of dishonour is long and undistinguished.
Would you regard it as acceptable if a right-wing Government should be allowed to shut down news sites like this one? I certainly hope not.
I suppose you would only silence people you don’t like.
Who said anything about shutting down blogs? I think that’s your authoritarian imagination running away with itself there.
Nationalising the airwaves and restoring the commons, taking them back from corporations.
Setting them up for grassroots local organisations.
Thereby organising a democratic media, not one run for big business interests.
Ed, yes please and thank you
Those with more money should not have a louder voice.
Am sick of the gossipy news, we can find that in the womans day, facebook, entertainment websites or whatever, I just want decent credible journalism, that is investigated rather than perpetuated gossip all over the telly, in the printed media and on their websites, click bait gossip central. Opinions on politics from sports presenters, sick of that shite.
And the real kicker is, as soon as we have some decent investigated journalism, it’s slammed. Like JC going off air etc.
I am grateful for my weekly dose of international media scruitney, via The Listening Post.
Grey .. Fortunately now there are others beyond the dishonoured, and undistinguished …
Their time may well come, but at least there are alternatives!
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@boardroom/2017/09/26/49345/productivity-growth-still-missing-in-action
OK lefites – this is a BIG warning sign not to jump on the Nat-Green alliance band wagon.
Jane Clifton tweeted that, with respect to the floated Nat-Green alliance:
This floated scenario is not in the Lab-Green interest.
It’s in the Nat’s interest to have another party to play off against NZ First.
Yep. If only the left had the resources to have people run disruption lines in the media …
We could organise instead, just saying .
Here we are post-election getting our attention and energy taken up by another round of bullshit. (have to say Clifton’s joining the dots is useful though). Maybe it’s just me feeling overloaded with things to push back against and still the left is just not that willing to work together (although parts of it do obviously).
I’m in the middle of writing a Guest Post about the Green Party and all the BS that blows around. I hope you will like it enough to post it here when it is finished 😉
Excellent. Do you want me to put it up? I can flick you an email via the address you comment with.
I think I already have your e-mail address from a previous Guest Post 😉
If not, I know where to find you 😉
Lol, true. Drop me a note here too, might be an old address I don’t use often.
More fake news don’t be so gullible.
Don’t troll.
+100
I’m not trolling there’s a large chunk of National voters who’d prefer the Greens to Peters if that option was on the table.
Personally, I’d prefer the Greens, Peters is a yesterday’s man, his time has pretty much been and gone,
But if Peters is the only option, then Peters it is.
There’s also a large chunk of Green voters who would probably consider that option the worst outcome they could imagine.
Funny thing is I consider the Greens more of a religious movement than a political party.
From what I’ve seen of most religious organisations I’d expect the Greens to jump at the opportunity to convert the non-green heathen
Currently, they treat the right in the same way the US treats Muslims, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Lol, ok at least you’re trying in your trolling now.
Tell me BM, in the 9 years National have been in government what have they done to cultivate the relationships that MMP demands?
If they come up short in the next few weeks they’ll have only themselves to blame.
Why would the Greens or any other party for that matter sign up to the same fate that has befallen ACT and the Māori Party?
Many would describe neoliberalism as a cult.
Neoliberalism has brought out the worst in us
Paul Verhaeghe
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/29/neoliberalism-economic-system-ethics-personality-psychopathicsthic
Neoliberalism: the idea that swallowed the world
The word has become a rhetorical weapon, but it properly names the reigning ideology of our era – one that venerates the logic of the market and strips away the things that make us human.
By Stephen Metcalf
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/aug/18/neoliberalism-the-idea-that-changed-the-world
…. “From what I’ve seen” How many eyes do you have B.
Sounds like One to me!
So? That has nothing to do with what Carolyn posted, or what Jane Clifton tweeted. I see no reason to disbelieve her and the fact that there are a bunch of National voters who want their conscience’s salved over the environment, or who just can’t stand Peters doesn’t change that.
Basically all you are doing is saying you want National to have as much power as possible. No shit. Just be honest about it.
The world does not revolve around the whims of Gnat voters.
Gnats’ve had power for 9 years – if they’d done a halfway decent job they’d have an outright majority.
BM, Maybe that large chunk of national voters should have voted for the Greens if they really care about the environment. Rather than wanting the Greens with national because all they really care about is national holding power.
Given that National voters are actually environmentalists, especially the farmers. We are told.
lmao Robert 😀
Priceless Robert!! How are the trees??
Yes National’s policies over the past 9 years have really prioritised the environment. Our waterways are pristine, we are reducing the cow herd to tackle climate change, we are spending much more on DOC to protect our wilderness areas…..
I’d say a pretty small minority of Nats – based on Polling over recent years
In 2014 for instance National voters preferred the Conservatives as Coalition Partners (54% Reid Research 47% DigiPoll) followed by NZF (36% RR 38% DP) with the Greens way back
Doubt things have changed much
More to the point an overwhelming majority of Green voters prefer a Labour Coalition partner
Fake news from Jane Clifton?
I was going to post something last night after I heard Bolger on Checkpoint have a sly little dig that the Greens should consider going with National because there is no left or right when it came to the environment and advising JC to “watch that space”.
I thought maybe he was just being mischievous but then I noted all the other places this suggestion had popped up over recent days. I wondered if the whole thing was deliberate and being managed.
In many cases I thought the people suggesting it being a real option should have known better, particularly when any such coalition would need to ratified by 75% of Green Party members. So I thought they were either ill-informed, mischievous or worse.
Grey, Others are onto it!
https://twitter.com/KeepingMum/status/912185011897475072
There’s no need to have to listen to those has beens any more ..
Hooten has been pushing this barrel for some time now…that should be reason enough to dismiss it out of hand
Its “utu” time according to Mr Paddy Gower……….Mike, all over in a minute, Hosking declares NZ First holding country to ransom…………… the media are in a spin.
Oh for the sounds of silence after the ensuing media death rattle.
Paddy Gower is a fuckwit. He misuses his power to manipulate NZ politics. He does it during elections, and it’s what he’s doing this week too.
Hi weka – what do you mean when you say Gower is manipulating NZ politics “now”. Surely the elections been had and voters no longer have any influence. Surely Gower can only ever influence voters, rather than politicians? Is Peters’ decision likely to be guided by Gower’s effusions?
Lol, exactly.
Dirty Politics got normalised at the last election, they don’t even need a special hit team now.
Robert, I suspect Mr Gower is pushing the line “you heard it here first” and that he is “privy” to “inside” information from “powerful” informants who call up on “blocked” phone numbers “telling all”.
The media in this country are being exposed for the poor little sycophants they are. Sadly a fair number of a certain 46% buy into it.
I guess, Kat, but I don’t see how anything Gower says will influence the formation of the new Government. He can cant all he wishes but Winston will make his own call.
He wants to up his ratings though and he may have some delusional fog similar to Hosking that what he says certain politicians may actually listen too. Since Key left there is an apparent vacuum between the media and politicians generally.
Although having said that Jacinda seems to have the measure of all of them, which is fascinating to observe.
Good to see businesses taking the initiative and adapting.
Kiwi businesses commit to ‘no qualifications required’ hiring
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/97253320
They are being kind. There are a bunch of former Green MPs who will be looking for work.
Troll alert!
Joke’s on him when you consider that Russell Norman went on to head Greenpeace and Kevin Hague heads Forest and Bird, two of the most effective progressive lobbying/activist groups we have in NZ now. I’m betting the Greens shedding some MPs just seeded some more great activism.
Absolutely weka. Kevin Hague is dong a sensational job at F & B, not least because it has stepped up to do some of the work that DoC has long since given up on.
ScottGN – that’s funny also 🙂
I had a great admiration for Kevin Hague. He stood for what I thought a Green Party should be. When he didn’t win the leadership position I was greatly surprised, and disappointed.
He had also done something before he entered Parliament. He wasn’t just one of the career Pol Sci idiots who haven’t actually done anything in the real world. I’ll admit they are mostly in the Labour Party, rather than the Greens of course.
Russel Norman? Forget it. He hasn’t changed since he left Parliament. Look at the story this Blog covered where he tried to smear the Government just before Election Day.
https://thestandard.org.nz/the-missing-story-on-collins-and-the-fuel-pipe-fiasco/#comment-1389665
How is his Court case going by the way? I wonder if Greenpeace will pay the fine?
I realise that Gareth Hughes is still in Parliament. However were he not, and it was quite close to happening, what would he do to support his family?
Go on a benefit?
The only thing I have seen him do, apart from being a joke as an MP was to dress up in a Star Trek uniform and pretend he was fighting the Klingons, or to have somewhat earlier been a stand-in in for Ronald McDonald. Has he done anything that has been useful to the world?
@alwyn
Cheeky bugger.
Alwyn – that’s funny!
To whomsoever it may concern:
“I have heard myself called a pessimist, and perhaps I have written some words of ill omen in my books … and perhaps I have spoken tonight some words of ill omen – but they are not words of despair. If we conjecture the decline and fall of this civilisation, it is because we hope for a better one. We are a tough race, we human beings; we have lived through an ice age and many ages of barbarism; we can live through this age of civilisation; and when at length it wears out and crumbles under us, we can “plot our agony of resurrection” and make a new age. Our business is to live. To live through… anything. And to keep alive, through everything, our ideal values, of freedom and courage, and mercy and tolerance.”
http://dark-mountain.net/blog/coming-down-the-mountain-a-farewell/
apparently more voted for National as they are perceived as superior managers of the economy…..perception is not reality.
“To sum up, New Zealand has lagged a bit behind the median advanced country since 2007/08, and has had no productivity growth at all for the last five years. We continue to drift further behind our closest neighbour, Australia, and now face the likelihood that before too long we’ll be overtaken by countries that, throughout modern history, were never previously as productive as New Zealand was, and which 30 years ago we’d have looked on as pretty hopeless cases.”
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/26/49345/productivity-growth-still-missing-in-action
Even the Aussies can see it…..God alone knows why 46% of NZ voters cant
“With at least 15,000 new homes needing to be built (not consented) in the city each year – more than double the current build rate – it is obvious that the housing situation in Auckland will continue to worsen as dwelling supply falls well short of rapid immigration-fueled population growth.
New Zealand needs genuine action on both the demand and supply-sides. And only Labour seems to have comprehensive policies (see here and here)”
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2017/09/nz-prime-minister-fails-badly-housing-defence/
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2017/09/nz-votes-yes-housing-ponzi/
I worry for many of those 46%.
Some are fools who believe the spin.
Some are cowards who believe the lies and scare stories.
Some are too lazy to research the issues.
And some pretend they care about child poverty, but their greed and selfishness trumps that when push comes to shove.
And finally there are the sociopaths.
maybe its “primarily there are the sociopaths”….the ones setting the agenda,writing the script and pulling the strings
Too true
… what was that tune National was in court for using during the last election campaign…?
(Been AFK from a couple of days before election, and trying to catch up)
Prime Minister of hurricane-hit Dominica: “To deny climate change is to deny a truth we have just lived”
I’ve been looking closely at the astounding destruction. What stuns me is how anyone survived at all. And pictures of yachts in known hurricane holes that are usually safe, just piled up over each other in tangled wrecks.
Cat 5’s used to be a once in a generation event; now we get several every year. Irma sustained winds over 270 km/hr for more than 24 hrs … that’s a grim statistic which bodes very ill for any nation within striking reach of these monsters.
An unusual convergence for the weather this time which hopefully won’t get repeated for at least 5 years.
But it will repeat. In the hurricane and typhoon areas it has been obvious for decades that with more energy, higher heat differentials, and above all else the ability to hoist more water into the atmosphere from climate change that there would be more intense storms rather than just more storms in those latitudes. Just as in our latitudes we’re going to get weather patterns lasting long and going further north from the pole and south from the sub-tropics.
Booth by booth – provincial South Taranaki lumps Whanganui city with National and their idiot.
http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017_preliminary/statistics/pdf/62_ElectionDay.pdf
Had to knock TeWhareWhero off the rss feed for badly formed feed for the second time in as many months. It was breaking the display off all the other sources in their latest post “The Neo-Libs’ Charter”
It can stay off now unless it gets fixed and I can be assured I don’t have to fix it another time.
Hmmm https://publicaddress.net website is offline
Someone with an email and or twitter to russell brown might like to tell him. I’m not sure that I have that stashed.
back now.
What an amazing election we had on the weekend! Can’t wait for the special votes to come in and be confirmed on the 7th October (Am I correct with that date). I have enjoyed reading some the threads and once I pull my out my digit out my ass I’ll comment on a few things like the Nelson electorate which in my view Labour can win. It good to see Chris Carter pop in for his take of the Auckland seats and how to fix the problem there in regards to the various ethnic groups in NZ.
Anyway I thought I’ll post this from the ABC about our record breaking temperatures over here in Oz ATM. In the southern states it’s dryer than a pub with no beer and up here in the top end a very early build up which is slowly driving everyone bat shit crazy ATM with a lot of fires in between a lot of drinking with all bugger all else getting done because it too bloody hot to do anything else.
Here’s the ABC link:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-26/bom-records-will-fall-as-eastern-australia-braces-for-heatwave/8988650
Here in Ballarat it’s been a long cold wet winter. 0 deg this morning and the heat pump is on again this evening. Crazy country.